GSCO Wins Lawsuit Against FNAWS/ISHA

Published: March - 2008

Grand Slam Club Ovis has won its lawsuit against Foundation For North American Wild Sheep/ISHA, vindicating its claim that it has proprietary rights to various terms when used in relation to sheep hunting. Those terms include Grand Slam, Ovis Grand Slam, ¾ Slam, etc. The verdict also concludes that FNAWS/ISHA breached a contract it signed relating to the use of those terms and also tortiously interfered with Grand/Slam Club Ovis' business relationships. The jury awarded GSCO $1,950,000 in damages.

The news broke just before the two organizations were to kick off their annual conventions last month. We sent out an E-mail Extra Bulletin about the verdict and posted it to our web site. Later, the judge upheld the damages awarded by the jury in a strongly worded Final Judgment and Permanent Injunction dated February 15, 2008. Still to come are awards for attorneys fees (which could be hundreds of thousands of additional dollars) and various court and filing fees (which could be as much as $50,000, we are told).

The judge went on to permanently enjoin (forbid) FNAWS/ISHA or any chapters of the organization from ever using the terms again. She directed FNAWS to post a copy of her ruling on the organization's web site and gave FNAWS/ISHA 30 days to file an affidavit, or declaration, detailing their compliance with the order. The issuance of an injunction, we understand, means the court intends to monitor and police the decision it has made.

Reached by phone, FNAWS' Ray Lee said he was hugely disappointed by the verdict, but said the organization would survive the blow. We can write a check for the $1.9 million, he said. As for GSCO's Dennis Campbell, he said that he was eager to get this matter behind both organizations.

You can read the judge's Final Judgment for yourself on our web site at www.huntingreport.com. Click on More On The FNAWS/ISHA-GSCO Lawsuit in the E-mail Extra Bulletins section on the left-hand side of the page.